Author: EVAI

Welcome to today’s edition of the Daily 5.

Back in July, we ran a report about GM’s BrightDrop electric delivery van business folding into the GM Envolve fleet and commercial unit. The idea was greater efficiency. Our story also said that after pausing production last fall, GM had resumed building BrightDrop’s Zevo 400 and Zevo 600 vans at its CAMI plant in Ingersoll, Ontario.

Today, there comes news that BrightDrop vans will become part of Chevrolet, as the automaker hopes to capitalize on Chevy’s larger dealership network and land new fleet customers.

The Zevo 400 and 600, numbered by their approximate cargo space, will be rebranded as the Chevrolet BrightDrop 400 and 600 starting with the 2025 model year, and both will continue to be built at the CAMI assembly plant.

GM is looking to bolster the software side of its business, too, and has added another former Apple Inc. leader to its software services group, hiring Tim Twerdahl as vice president of product management.

Twerdahl joins GM as it builds out its software unit’s leadership team with former Apple executives, while cutting other personnel to remove some staffing layers.

At Apple, Twerdahl oversaw products such as AirPods and Apple TV as vice president of the tech giant’s home and audio products business.

There are plenty of other news stories today at Automotive News, including Carvana building its first mega-dealership, Polestar recording a large quarterly loss and Chinese consumer tech giant Huawei Technologies, long suspected of wanting to become a carmaker, making it clear it has no intention of doing so.

That’s it for today. Enjoy the rest of your day.

The Federal Reserve signaled that the highest interest rates in more than two decades should begin falling soon, providing welcome relief for the auto industry.

Ford’s Bronco Raptor SUV and Ranger Raptor pickup wow off road, but the vehicles’ performance on streets and in a straight line can be less satisfying. With either vehicle, you’re looking at a 0-60 mph time in around six seconds. There’s a solution, and you can find it at your local Ford dealership. The automaker on Thursday announced a…

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The 2024 Mini Countryman SE ALL4 electric crossover will offer up to 212 miles of range and cost $46,195 (including a $995 destination fee) when it reaches U.S. dealerships this fall, Mini confirmed Monday.

Launch timing matches what Mini announced last year, when it confirmed the electric Countryman for the U.S. shortly after the redesigned crossover’s unveiling at the 2023 Munich auto show. While the outgoing model was available with a plug-in hybrid powertrain, this is the first time the Countryman will be available with an all-electric powertrain. Combustion powertrains will still be offered as well.

2025 Mini Countryman SE

The U.S.-spec Countryman SE ALL4 features a dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain rated at 308 hp and 364 lb-ft of torque, which gets the crossover from 0-60 mph in a Mini-estimated 5.4 seconds. Europe will also get a single-motor version.

Mini also confirmed that the Countryman SE ALL4 will be able to DC fast charge at up to 130 kw, allowing for a 10-80% charge in about 30 minutes.

2025 Mini Countryman SE

Expect the electric Countryman to be sold alongside a redesigned electric version of the traditional Mini Cooper hatchback. The next-generation Cooper was unveiled alongside the Countryman in 2023 with both gasoline and electric powertrains, but Mini hasn’t discussed U.S. launch timing for the electric version. When it does arrive, it will serve as a replacement for the Mini Cooper SE, the only EV the brand has offered in the U.S. to date.

Mini earlier this year also showed a new electric crossover called the Aceman, which slots between the Countryman and Cooper in size. However, it’s unclear if this model, which borrows its name and minimalist look from a 2022 concept car, will reach the U.S.

• An electric off-roader could be in the works from Ariel
• Ariel revealed the E-Nomad concept with a 41-kwh battery and 150 miles of range
• If there’s enough customer interest the E-Nomad could go into production and come to the U.S.

Low-volume British automaker Ariel has electrified its minimalist Nomad off-roader.

Ariel recently unveiled the E-Nomad concept, which swaps the vehicle’s small gasoline engine for an electric motor and battery pack while incorporating body panels made from sustainable material. The Nomad itself is an off-road version of the Ariel Atom, with both cars being little more than tube frame chassis with wheels attached.

The concept is based on the redesigned Ariel Nomad 2, which recently launched with a Ford-sourced 2.3-liter turbo-4 engine available in 260 hp, 302 hp, and 305 hp tunes. In the E-Nomad, that’s been replaced by a rear-mounted electric motor producing 281 hp and 361 lb-ft of torque. Ariel claims this will match the gasoline version’s best 0-60 mph time of 3.4 seconds.

Ariel E-Nomad concept

A 41-kwh battery pack comprised of pouch cells affords an estimated 150 miles of range, likely based on the more optimistic European WLTP testing cycle. The pack also features a dedicated heater for pre-conditioning in cold weather. A CCS DC fast-charging connector allows for a 20-80% charge in about 25 minutes.

While it still lacks doors, the E-Nomad does have a roof and more-enclosed body sides than the production Nomad, helping to reduce aerodynamic drag by 30%. These are made from flax, which Ariel claims is 9% lighter than carbon fiber and cuts carbon dioxide emissions by 73%. The bodywork helps contribute to a 1,975-pound curb weight—fairly svelte for an EV but still about 400 pounds heavier than a gasoline Nomad 2.

Ariel has experimented with electrification before, unveiling the gas-turbine range-extended Hipercar in 2022. Supplier Borg Warner, which provided the motor for the E-Nomad, also showed its own electric Nomad prototype in 2019. But the company hasn’t made a final decision on whether to sell the E-Nomad to customers.

Ariel E-Nomad concept

Testing of the E-Nomad will continue as Ariel monitors customer interest, the company said in a press release. If it does go into production, there’s a reasonable chance the E-Nomad will reach the U.S., as Ariel has imported its gasoline Nomad and Atom previously.

The E-Nomad could serve as a wilder alternative to the Rivian R3 and R3X, which are also designed to scamper around off road, but future more conventional styling that recalls vintage hatchbacks. Specific launch timing hasn’t been confirmed, but Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe has said the R3X will arrive first, “as soon as possible” after the 2026 launch of the R2 SUV.

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BMW is recalling 1,150 i4 electric cars because a part of the chassis may crack and compromise structural integrity.

All recalled cars are 2024 models, encompassing three versions of the i4 available for that model year. That includes the base single-motor i4 eDrive40, dual-motor i4 xDrive50, and the range-topping i4 M50.

2024 BMW i4 M50

These vehicles may have been manufactured with a left-side longitudinal beam that “may not have been produced by the supplier according to specifications,” said a recall report from the NHTSA. Specifically, it could crack near the area of a rivet flange used to support the rear wheel arch. In a crash, this could lead to increased deformation of the chassis in the area of the rear seats and potentially damage the battery pack, creating a fire risk, according to the NHTSA.

BMW is not aware of any accidents or injuries related to this issue—which was discovered during supplier quality checks—nor is it aware of any warranty claims or customer complaints related to the problem.

2024 BMW i4 M50

Dealers will inspect the left-side longitudinal beam and replace it if necessary, free of charge. BMW plans to start mailing owner notification letters Oct. 7, 2024. Owners can also contact the automaker’s customer service department at 1-800-525-7417.

Introduced for the 2022 model year, the i4 combines an all-electric powertrain with the body shell from the gasoline BMW 4-Series Gran Coupe. The electric model receives some updates for 2025, including a range boost in certain configurations. BMW is moving away from EVs based on combustion models with its Neue Klasse family, based on a dedicated EV architecture, that’s due to launch in Europe in 2025.

Volkswagen EV drivers in Europe will soon be able to play video games while they charge.

The automaker announced Monday that it will add the AirConsole gaming platform to certain models in some European countries starting in mid September. VW plans to expand availability to more European countries by the end of 2024 or early 2025, but did not discuss U.S. availability.

2025 Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer

AirConsole, which is also available in the BMW i5, runs as an app on vehicle infotainment systems, but relies on users’ smartphones as controllers. Vehicles must be placed in park to use this feature, which includes single-player and multiplayer options.

The gaming feature launches on the VW ID.7 Tourer, the wagon version of the ID.7 hatchback. This model was never intended for the U.S., although the standard hatchback version was initially due to arrive in this market later this year, as a 2025 model. VW in May delayed the release of the U.S.-market ID.7, though, and hasn’t set a revised timeline for its arrival.

2025 Volkswagen ID.7 Tourer

Along with the ID.7, VW plans to offer in-vehicle gaming on the ID.5, ID.4, and ID.3 EVs (only the ID.4 is sold in the U.S.), as well as the internal-combustion Golf, Passat, and Tiguan.

VW did not mention plans to offer AirConsole gaming in the ID.Buzz electric van, which is finally due to reach the U.S. dealers later this year with a base price of $61,545 and up to 234 miles of EPA range (those numbers aren’t for the same vehicle). While it’s also sold as a cargo van in Europe, the ID.Buzz is offered in the U.S. exclusively as a three-row passenger van—which would seem like a good application for built-in gaming.